Thermal garment for lactating women

ABSTRACT

A thermal lactation garment includes a back panel, a front panel, and two sleeves of a thermally insulating fabric, having a neck opening, a torso opening, and two sleeve openings. The front panel has two apertures with moisture wicking fabric panels attached across the apertures. Closures detachably connect the moisture wicking fabric panels and the front panel above the apertures. The garment allows a mother to remain warm while breastfeeding by exposing only one breast, with the absorbent fabric panels absorbing and wicking moisture away to keep the mother dry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to thermal moisture resistant undergarments and, more particularly, to a thermal garment for lactating women.

When women breastfeed, they often must lift their shirts up to feed their children. Women do this even during the winter months, leaving them cold and exposed while feeding. Moreover, breastmilk tends to drip and/or an infant may drool on the woman's chest and abdomen, leaving both woman and child cold and uncomfortable. The child often becomes wet because they are affixed to the mother. This excess leakage of breastmilk and saliva can cause the woman's shirt on the side to become soaked and wet from the excess liquid running down the woman's ribs toward her back. The wetness spreads in the cotton and a large percentage of the shirt eventually becomes wet. This can also cause the bed to become wet since women often breastfeed while laying down. The soaking of the shirt and bed often occurs due to long periods of time breastfeeding and falling asleep. Being wet and cold for long periods of time can pose a health threat to new mothers. Sitting or lying long periods of time in wet clothes can cause a woman to become susceptible to colds, influenza, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), etc. This can put the infant's health at risk given their immune systems are still developing. The mother could possibly transmit a virus to the child. Not accounting for this phenomenon lacks responsibility and will take time away from caring for newborns. No garment exists to solve this issue currently. The present invention seeks to provide mothers and newborns a warm comfortable alternative for breastfeeding.

As can be seen, there is a need for a garment that keeps a woman warm and dry while allowing her to breastfeed an infant or to pump breastmilk for short or extended periods of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a thermal lactation garment comprises a back panel formed of a thermally insulating fabric; a front panel formed of the thermally insulating fabric, having a first aperture and a second aperture, said front panel being coupled with the back panel to define a neck opening, a torso opening, a first sleeve opening and a second sleeve opening; a first sleeve formed of the thermally insulating fabric joined with the back panel and the front panel at the first sleeve opening; a second sleeve formed of the thermally insulating fabric joined with the back panel and the front panel at the second sleeve opening; a first moisture wicking fabric panel attached to the front panel across the first aperture with a first closure means detachably coupling the first moisture wicking fabric panel and the front panel craniad to the first aperture; and a second moisture wicking fabric panel attached to the front panel across the second aperture with a second closure means detachably coupling the second moisture wicking fabric panel and the front panel craniad to the second aperture.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a maternity garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail front elevation view thereof, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 , shown in use; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof, taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

As used herein, directional terms such as upper, lower, upward or craniad, downwardly or caudal, top, left, right and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, such that the upward direction (or upper) being toward the top of the corresponding figures and the downward direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figures.

Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a thermal undergarment for a lactating woman's torso. The garment is provided with two breast access openings on the chest, each of which has an absorbent and/or wicking material below it to absorb moisture, such as baby saliva and breast milk.

The inventive thermal lactation garment, which may be an undergarment, or designed as a two-piece fitness body/track suit allowing a mother to breastfeed by exposing only one breast through an aperture in the garment, allowing her to remain warm. The garment allows a lactating mother to pull her breast through “breast openings” to breastfeed her child. Absorbent fabric panels directly below the breast openings absorb and wick moisture away to keep the mother dry.

The garment may be manufactured from any suitable thermally insulating fabric such that the lactating woman's body heat and dryness is retained. Preferably, the insulating material is a high-quality heat insulating material for the garment's longevity and the user's comfort. The absorbent and/or wicking material is not particularly limited. For example, a polyester material may be used.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 , FIG. 1 illustrates a lactation garment 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention worn by a user 12. The garment includes a front torso portion or front panel, a rear torso portion or a rear panel, and left and right sleeves. The front panel and the rear panel are coupled to form a torso portion having a neck opening, a torso opening, a first sleeve opening, and second sleeve opening. The rear torso portion, the sleeves, and a major portion of the front torso portion are formed of a thermal material 14 to keep the user 12 warm. The thermal material 14 of the front torso portion extends from a neck portion to a top portion of horizontal left and right breast slits 22, between the breast slits 22, expanding laterally down to a waist portion, and extending across the waist and hip portions of the garment 10. At the breast slits 22, panels comprising a moisture wicking material 16 are joined to the garment 10, stitched or otherwise adhered to a lower or caudal portion of the front torso thermal material 14. The breast slits 22 may be closed with a closure means such as those selected from a button 18, a hook and loop fastener 20, and combinations thereof detachably coupling the thermal material and the wicking material, as shown in FIG. 2 . In FIG. 2 , a hook portion 20 a adhered to the wicking material 16 and a loop portion 20 b adhered to the thermal material 14 are shown separated, allowing the user 12 to withdraw a breast 24 for breastfeeding or lactation pumping. FIG. 3 illustrates the garment 10 with a breast slit 22 closed over the user's 12 breast 24. As FIG. 3 shows, the craniad thermal material 14 overlaps the caudal wicking material 16 such that the hook portion 20 a and the loop portion 20 b of the closure 20 interlock. In this case, a button 18 serves as a decorative feature but may alternatively be attached to the wicking material 16 and passed through a buttonhole in the thermal material 14 to secure the breast slit 22 in a closed condition.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A thermal lactation garment, comprising: a) a back panel formed of a thermally insulating fabric; b) a front panel formed of the thermally insulating fabric, having a first aperture and a second aperture, said front panel being coupled with the back panel to define a neck opening, a torso opening, a first sleeve opening and a second sleeve opening; c) a first sleeve formed of the thermally insulating fabric joined with the back panel and the front panel at the first sleeve opening; d) a second sleeve formed of the thermally insulating fabric joined with the back panel and the front panel at the second sleeve opening; e) a first moisture wicking fabric panel attached to the front panel across the first aperture with a first closure means detachably coupling the first moisture wicking fabric panel and the front panel craniad to the first aperture; and f) a second moisture wicking fabric panel attached to the front panel across the second aperture with a second closure means detachably coupling the second moisture wicking fabric panel and the front panel craniad to the second aperture.
 2. The thermal lactation garment of claim 1, wherein the first closure means and the second closure means are selected from the group consisting of: a button; a hook and loop fastener; and combinations thereof.
 3. The thermal lactation garment of claim 1, wherein the thermally insulating fabric of the front panel overlaps the first moisture wicking fabric panel at the first closure means and the second moisture wicking fabric panel at the second closure means.
 4. The thermal lactation garment of claim 1, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are configured as horizontal breast slits. 